Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of (a) trends in the levels of use of balaclavas and other face coverings by young people to intimidate members of the public, and (b) the potential merits of measures to address their use in such circumstances.

The Government is clear that nobody should be subjected to intimidation or threatening behaviour in public spaces. Police have a range of powers available to address criminality and intimidatory behaviour where the relevant legal thresholds are met, including where face coverings are used to conceal identity.

The Home Office has engaged with policing partners on the application of powers to address the use of face coverings to conceal identity. The use of these powers is an operational matter for the police, but we will continue to monitor the situation.